ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to extend social identity theories to the study of Muslim political opinion and behavior in a manner that reflects the fusion of sociological and psychology factors often found in European studies of Muslim communities. The outcomes are organized into three broad categories: the first regards Muslim response to contemporary political issues and events; the second focuses on reported political behavior, including political assimilation activities and patriotism; and the third concerns Muslim "attachment" to the United States. The book focuses on different attempts at assimilation by Muslims, individual levels of pride and other emotions associated with national attachment, as well as impacts related to individual Muslim interactions with the larger Muslim and non-Muslim communities. It also focuses on the use of experimental design to gain leverage on direct effects from using types of Muslim identity frames on political outcomes.
